Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thickness and width

ABSTRACT

Apparatus by which single cards, or pads consisting of several sheets and having a width different from the width of the cards, are transported from a magazine to a printing station, is provided with means for manually setting the card knife to different thicknesses, and a movable margin guide to the different widths of the transported cards or pads.

United States Patent 1191 Gorner et al.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND GUIDING SHEET MEANS OF DIFFERENT THICKNESS AND WIDTH Inventors: Horst Gorner, St. Georgen; Manfred Kohler, Monchweiler; Alois Limberger, Gruningen; Walter Usbeck, Villingen, all of Germany Assignee: Kienzle Apparate Gmbl'l, Villingen,

Germany Filed: Oct. 13, 1971 Appl. N0.: 188,913

Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 14, i970 Germany P 20 50 370.2

U.S. CI. 271/34, 271/49 Int. Cl B65h 3/04 Field of Search 271/3-4,

1451 Aug. 28, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,5l4,ll0 11/1924 Still 27l/l8 3,3l 1,371 3/1967 Zeuthen 271/49 X Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka Att0rneyMichael S. Striker 57 ABSTRACT Apparatus by which single cards, or pads consisting of several sheets and having a width different from the width of the cards, are transported from a magazine to a printing station, is provided with means for manually setting the card knife to different thicknesses, and a movable margin guide to the different widths of the transported cards or pads.

11 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 28,1973 3,754,753

5 sheetsp B M 1 MIMI] WNW if F M, GORN M RED HLER WAI H H IIHHI (K 1/1/11 A TTOR Y Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,753

5 Sheets-Sheet I5 15 y 3 Ffhil em) 1.6 i i "49 48 INVENTORS HORST GORNER MANFRED KOHL'ER ALOIS LIMBERGER WALTER USBECK ATTOR NE Patented Aug. 28, 1973 5 Sheets-Shoot 4 INVENTQRS HORST GORNER MANFRED KOHLER ALOIS LIMBERGER WALTER USBECK //M/ ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 28, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTQRS HORST GORNER MANFRED KOHLER ALOIS LIMBERGER WALTER USB ECK ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND GUIDING SHEET MEANS OF DIFFERENT THICKNESS AND WIDTH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with apparatus for transporting cards, such as checks and vouchers in the form of pads having several sheets to a printing station, particularly to the printing station of a printing adding machine. In apparatus of this type, the transported cards or pads, hereinafter referred to as sheet means, are taken off a stack in a magazine, transported to the printing station, imprinted, and then deposited in a receptacle.

The printing station has a coding printer which imprints sheet means in specific portions and in specific correlated positions. For example, cash checks, money orders, and vouchers have to be imprinted in the lower marginal portion with data manually entered by the customer, for example with the account number, the amount, and a number representing the branch office of the respective bank where the transaction takes place. In this operation, on the one hand the data must be evaluated by the adding machine into which the printer is built, and on the other hand it must be possible to read out the imprints by means of an automatic read-out device which is capable of identifying printed characters, and to enter the respective data into a data processing machine.

In accordance with the general practice in banks and like institutes, single cards may be processed, for example a check, but it must also be possible to operate with a pad having in addition to the original, also one or two copy sheets. For example, a cash check is always filled in in the form of a single card, while a money order, which is filled in by the customer, is a pad with three sheets of which one copy sheet is retained by the customer, and theoriginal and another copy sheet are held by the bank. It is necessary to successively process single sheets, double sheets, and triple sheet s, so that the coding printer must be capable of separating single sheets, as well as pads from a stack in a magazine, and to transport the respective sheet or pad in a correct position tothe printing station of the adding machine to obtain an imprint in a particular area of the card or pad. However, the cards and pads are not only of different thickness, but also of different width. Standard cash checks, which are processed as single cards, have in Germany the standard format DIN A 6, while double and triple pads are provided with left and right marginal parts which can be torn off along a perforated line. The customer receives a triple pad which has on the left and right lateral marginal portions which are added to the length of the single card used as a check. After the customer has filled in the top sheet of the pad, he must tear off one of the marginal portions. The bank clerk tears off the other marginal portion, so that the final voucher is a single sheet having the format DIN A 6 of the standard single card.

However, in the coding printer, single sheets, double sheets, and triple sheets must be processed without error irrespective of different thickness, but the coding printer must also be capable of processing forms having the format DIN A 6 on the one hand, and this format increased in width by detachable marginal portions on card or pad during the printing so that the imprints are made in the marginal area provided for this purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to provide apparatus for transporting to a printing station, and aligning at the printing station, cards or pads of different thickness and width.

Another object of the invention is to assure imprinting of cards and pads in a predetermined area irrespective of the number of sheets in the pad, and the different widths of the cards and pads.

In accordance with the invention, a card knife is adjusted to cards and pads of different thickness, and at the same time, a margin guide at the printing station is adjusted in accordance with the width of the card or pad. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the card knife and the movable marginal guide at the printing station, are simultaneously adjusted by manually operated'means since the thickness of the card or pad is associated with the width of the card or pad.

An apparatus according to the invention is used for separating and guiding sheet means, such as cards or pads of different thickness or width from a magazine to the printing station. The apparatus comprises transporting means for successively transporting the sheet means from a stack in a'magazine to the printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet meansj first operating means for moving the card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of the gap in accordance with the thickness of the sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from the stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed, but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of the printing station for guiding the lateral edges of the I sheet means; second operating means for moving the adjustable marginal guide toward and away from the movable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between the margin guides is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means; and manually operated means movable between a plurality of setting positions and connected with the first and second operating means for simultaneously moving the card knife and the adjustable margin guide to the separating and guiding positions, respectively, when the manually operated means is placed in the setting positions. Each setting position is associated with a sheet means having a predetermined thickness and width, for example with a card having a standard format, and with a pad having three sheets and two lateral marginal detachable portions added to the width of the cards.

Preferably, arresting means are provided for arresting the manually operated means, such as a turnable shaft with a handle, in each of the setting positions whereby the card knife and adjustable margin guide are arrested in the associated separating andguiding positions. It is particularly accurate to provide other arresting means for arresting the adjustable margin guide in the guiding positions. The first and second operating means are preferably mechanical linkages, including lever arms fixedly secured to the shaft and turning with the same.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however,

both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1a illustrates a single card having a standard format;

FIGS. lb and 1c illustrate two different pads having detachable marginal portions;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the general arrangement of a printer to which the invention is applied;

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the printer shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of the invention on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the apparatus of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the apparatus of FIGS. 4 and 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIGS. la, lb and 10, FIG. 1a shows a single card, such as a cashed check which is provided with a coding area.2 along its bottom edge. The coding area 2 may have several fields 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively associated, for example, with the branch number of the bank, the account number, the date, and the amount. The card shown in FIG. 1a has a standard format with a predetermined width and height.

FIG. 1]) illustrates a pad which has portions 1 and 2 as described with reference to FIG. la, but an additional margin portion 7 which increases the width of the pads, but can be manually detached along a perforated line. The pad shown in FIG. lb may have two sheets, an original and a copy sheet.

The pad shown in FIG. 10 has two lateral marginal portions 7 and 8, adding to the width of the card, and may have three sheets,an original and two copy sheets. In accordance with the invention, sheet means as shown in FIG. 1a, FIG. 1b, and FIG. 10 should be accurately imprinted in the respective fields 3 to 6 of the coding area 2, irrespective of the fact that the pads and the single card have different widths and thicknesses.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the general arrangement to which the invention. is applied in a schematic manner, with standard cards being omitted for the sake of clarity and simplicity.

tatably mounted on journals 23 secured to side walls 21 and 20.

A receptacle 24 for imprinted sheet means I has a rear wall 25 and a front wall 26 for aligning the edges of the imprinted sheet means 1, which are supported by 7 portions of guide walls 27 and 28.

The printing adding machine includes a printing station represented by a platen 9 which serves as support for sheet means on which printing means, not shown, imprint data in the coding area 2 when the lower edge of the sheet means guided by a flexible glass guide and holder 10, rests on stops 1!. A rearwardly arranged guide plate 12 guides sheet means from the stack 17 in the magazine 13 to the printing station represented by stops 11 and platen 9. FIG. 2 shows the rear wall 14, the front wall 50, and the movable bottom wall 15 which supports stack 17, and is biassed by springs'l8 to urge the bottom wall 15 and stack 17 upward against stop rollers 19 whichhold stack 17 in a predetermined position irrespective of.the number of sheet means in' the stack 17. As shown in FIG. 3, stop rollers 19 are ro- The sheet means 1 which is uppermost in stack 17, is downwardly supplied along guide wall 12, and is after printing upwardly delivered along guide wall 27 and a guide portion of front wall 26 to become the lowest sheet means in the stack formed in the receptacle 24 so that the order of the sheet means 1 remains the same before and after the imprinting.

The taking of sheet means from stack 17, and the depositing of the imprinted sheet means 1 in the receptacle 24 takes place as follows. A transporting belt 29 is guided about two pulleys 30 and 31, of which pulley 30 is mounted on a stationary shaft 32, while pulley 31 is mounted on a shaft 33 which can be raised and lowered in a manner known to those skilled in the art. For taking a sheet means 1 from stack 17, shaft 33 is downwardly moved so that belt 29 touches the uppermost sheet means 1 in stack 17 and begins to pull it off stack 17. A card knife 16, see FIG. 5, is mounted on the wall 50 and forms with belt 29 a gap whose width depends on the position of the card knife 16. When the sheet means 1 is a single card, the gap between the upper edge of the card knife 16 and belt 29 upon lowering of shaft 33 with pulley 31, is so narrow that only a single sheet can pass through the gap.

If card knife 16 is positioned somewhat lower, the gap between the edge of the card knife 16 and the belt 29 is wider so that not only a single card, but also a pad containing two or three sheets can pass through the gap. Additional rollers, covered in FIG. 2 by pulley 31, engage the uppermost sheet means 1 in stack 17 and transportthe same so that the sheet means 1 passes between the edge of card knife 16 and belt 29 and is then engaged by additional transporting rollers 34 and transported into the gap between the transparent holder and guide 10, and the rear wall and guide 12 of.the printing station 9, 11.

While sheet means 1 slides downward between walls 12 and 16 to the position in which its bottom edge rests on stops 1], it is laterally guided by an adjustable but fixed margin guide 35 supported on wall 21, and a movable margin guide 36. When sheet means 1 rests on stops 11, the movable margin guide 36 is moved to the right as viewedin FIG. 3 until the right lateral edge of the sheet means 1, engages fixed marginal guide 35 which may be a card as shown in FIG. la, or a wider pad shown in FIG. 1c. By operation of the movable margin guide 36, with respect to the fixed marginal guide 35, the sheet means is accurately positioned at the printing station to receive an imprint in its coding area 2. When the printing has been completed, sheet means 1 is gripped between transporting rollers 37, and rollers, covered in FIG. 2 by pulley 30, and transported along guide wall 27 into the receptacle 24.

The general arrangement of the printer shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is known, but in accordance with the invention, the card knife 16 is set to a position in which the gap between the edge of the card knife and belt 29 corresponds to the thickness of the sheet means 1 so that only one sheet means is removed from the top of stack 17, and furthermore, the fixed but adjustable margin guide 35 is set to a position corresponding to the width of the sheet means 1 which may have the width shown in FIG.- 1a, or the width shown in FIG. due to the provision of detachable marginal portions 7 and 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a shaft 38 is mounted in the lateral support walls and 21 and provided with a manually operable member 39 in the form of handle which can be manually operated to turn shaft 38 between a plurality of setting positions. Shaft 38 carries a fixed catch lever which has a projecting catch 44 cooperating with two arresting notches 42, 43 in an arresting lever 40 which is mounted by a pivot means 41 on support wall 20, and is biassed by a spring 40' so that the force of spring 40' has to be overcome when shaft 38 is turned from one setting position determined by arresting notch 43 to another setting position determined by arresting notch 42.

The manually operated shaft means 38, 39 is connected by first and second operating means with the card knife 16 and with the movable margin guide 35,

respectively, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The first operating means is a mechanical linkage including a lever 46 fixed to shaft 38, and having a surface slidingly engaging a pin or other projection 47 of a lower portion of card knife 16. Card knife 16 is guided in a slot 48, see FIG. 4, and by a screw 49 along the front wall 50 of magazine 13 so that card knife 16 can be shifted relative to front wall 50. Springs 51 are secured to the card knife 16 and also to front wall 50, see FIGS. 4 and 5, so that card knife 16 is urged upward for movement toward belt 29 while screw 49 slides in the moving slot 48 of the card knife 16.

Upward movement of card knife 16 is limited due to the action of lever 46 on pin 47. The angular position of lever 46 which corresponds to an angular setting position of shaft 38 and of the manually operated member 39, determines the end position of card knife 16, and

the width of the gap which the edge ofv card knife 16 forms with belt 29.

An additional adjusting screw 52 which determines the initial position of card-knife 16 relative to front wall 50, permits a fine adjustment of the position of card knife 16.

It will be seen that in the setting position of shaft 38 shown in FIG. 5, in which arresting. catch 45, 44 engages arresting notch 43, the card knife 16 is farther advanced than in the other setting position of shaft 38 in which the catch lever 45, 44 engages notch 42 so that a pad could be transported by belt 29 through the gap between belt 29 and the card knife 16, while in the illustrated position only a thin single card can pass through the gap.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, outward of support wall 21, a lever 53 is fixedly secured to shaft 38 and turns with the same to the setting positions. An intermediate link 54 is articulated to lever 53 and to an angular lever 55 which is mounted by a pivot 56 on a supporting bracket 60 secured to support wall 21. Angular lever 55 has an open slot in which a pin 57, secured to the movable margin guide 35, is located. Margin guide 35 is mounted for movement between a plurality of guiding positions on a guide bolt 58, but includes also a guide pin 59, see FIG. 4, which cooperates with a corresponding recess in the supporting bracket 60.

As best seen in FIG. 4, a catch lever 61 is mounted by pivot means 62 on supporting bracket 60, and carries an arresting catch pin 64 cooperating with an arresting lever 65 which is mounted by a pivot 65a on supporting bracket 60, and has two arresting notches 66 and 67, cooperating with catch pin 64. Arresting lever 65 is urged by a spring 65b to turn in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, so that arresting pin 64 is located in one of the arresting notches 66 and 67, and a certain force is required to shift catch lever 61.

Catch lever 61 carries a pin 63 which is located in a slot 35b of a transverse portion 35a of adjustable margin guide 35.

When the adjustable margin guide 35 is shifted by the linkage 53, 54, 55, 57 due to turning of the manually operated means 38, 39 to another setting position, pin 63 with catch lever 61 is shifted by portion 350 or margin stop 35 so that catch pin 64 resiliently snaps into the other arresting notch 67.

It will be seen that the arresting means 40 to 45, which arrest the manually operated means 38, 39 in two setting positions, also arrest the card knife 16 in corresponding separating positions, and the adjustable margin guide 35 in corresponding guiding position. Additionally, the arresting means 61, 62, 64 to 67 arrest movable margin guide 35 in the guiding positions, as best seen in FIG. 4.

When shaft 38 is turned to the position in which catch lever 45, 44 is located in notch 42, card knife 16 forms a greater gap for a pad 1, and the movable margin guide 35 is retracted to the right as viewed in FIG. 4 for guiding a pad having the lateral marginal portions 7 and 8. In this position, arresting pin 64 is located in arresting notch 67.

By manually turning shaft 38 between angular setting positions, the card knife 16, which determines the width of the gap for passage of sheet means, is adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the sheet means, while at the same time the movable margin stop 35 is adjusted in accordance with the width of the pad or card 1. Since a single card has the lesser width than a pad which has detachable marginal portions, the two diffetent adjustments can be carried out under manual control by a common manually operated means 38, 39 which is connected by two mechanical linkages, 46, 47 on the one hand, and 53, 54, 55, 57 on the other hand with the card knife 16 and the movable margin stop 35, respectively. In the event that the thickness of a sheet means 1 is not directly associated with the width of the respective sheet means, independent manual adjustments of the card knife 16 and of the movable margin guide 35 are required.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of apparatus for imprinting coded data on single cards and pads containing several sheets differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an apparatus for separating guiding single cards and pads of different thickness or width, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim: I

1. Apparatus for separatingand guiding sheet means of different thickness and width, the width of each sheet means being correlated with the thickness thereof, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from said magazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet means; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap in accordance with the thickness of said sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; and second operating means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guides is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means, said first and second operating means being connectedso that upon adjustment of said distance by said adjustable margin guide, said card knife forms a gap whose width is'correlated to'the ad-. justed distance between said margin guides.

2. Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thickness and width, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from saidmagazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gapfor the passage of transported sheet means; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap, in accordance with the. thickness of said sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; second operating means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guides is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means; and manually operated means movablebetween a plurality of setting positions and connected with said first and second operating means for simultaneously moving said card 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and comprising other arresting means for arresting said adjustable margin guide in said guiding positions.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said manually operable means includes a turnable shaft, and a manually operated member secured to said shaft for turning the same; and wherein said first and second operating means connect said shaft with said card knife and said adjustable margin guide, respectively. 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first and second operating means include first and second mechanical linkages, respectively, connecting said shaft with said card knife and said adjustable margin guide, respectively; and wherein said first and second mechanical linkages include first and second levers, respectively, secured to said shaft.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including first arresting means for arresting said shaft in said setting positions; and second arresting means for arresting said adjustable margin guide in said guiding positions.

8. Apparatus as claimedin claim 7 wherein said first arresting means includes a latch lever secured to said shaft, and a spring biassed arresting lever having a plurality of arresting notches engaged by said latch lever in said setting positions of said shaft.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said manually operated means includes a turnable shaft, and a manually operated member secured to said shaft for tuming the same; wherein said first and second operating means include first and second mechanical linkages, respectively, connecting said shaft with said card knife and. said adjustable margin guide, respectively, said first and second linkages including first and second levers secured to said shaft; wherein said card knife and said adjustable margin guide include first and second pins, respectively; wherein said first lever slidingly engages said first pin; and wherein said second linkage includes another lever slidingly engaging said second pin.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and including first spring-biassed arresting means for arresting said shaft in said setting positions and thereby said card knife and said adjustable margin guide in said separating and guiding positions, respectively; and second arresting means for arresting said margin guide in said guiding positions. I l v 11. Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thicknessand width, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from said magazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet knife and said adjustable margin guide to said separating and guiding positions, respectively, when said manually operated means is placed in said set ting positions, respectively, each setting position being associated with a sheet means having a predetermined thickness and width.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim'2 and including'armeans; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap, in'accordance with the thickness of said sheet means so'that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of. said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; second operation means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guides is equal to the width of thelrespective transported sheet means; and means for simultaneously actuating said first and second operating means. 

1. Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thickness and width, the width of each sheet means being correlated with the thickness thereof, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from said magazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet means; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap in accordance with the thickness of said sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; and second operating means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guides is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means, said first and second operating means being connected so that upon adjustment of said distance by said adjustable margin guide, said card knife forms a gap whose width is correlated to the adjusted distance between said margin guides.
 2. Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thickness and width, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from said magazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet means; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap in accordance with the thickness of said sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; second operating means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guides is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means; and manualLy operated means movable between a plurality of setting positions and connected with said first and second operating means for simultaneously moving said card knife and said adjustable margin guide to said separating and guiding positions, respectively, when said manually operated means is placed in said setting positions, respectively, each setting position being associated with a sheet means having a predetermined thickness and width.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and including arresting means for arresting said manually operated means in each of said setting positions whereby said card knife and said adjustable margin guide are arrested in the respective associated separating and guiding positions.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 and comprising other arresting means for arresting said adjustable margin guide in said guiding positions.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said manually operable means includes a turnable shaft, and a manually operated member secured to said shaft for turning the same; and wherein said first and second operating means connect said shaft with said card knife and said adjustable margin guide, respectively.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first and second operating means include first and second mechanical linkages, respectively, connecting said shaft with said card knife and said adjustable margin guide, respectively; and wherein said first and second mechanical linkages include first and second levers, respectively, secured to said shaft.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including first arresting means for arresting said shaft in said setting positions; and second arresting means for arresting said adjustable margin guide in said guiding positions.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first arresting means includes a latch lever secured to said shaft, and a spring biassed arresting lever having a plurality of arresting notches engaged by said latch lever in said setting positions of said shaft.
 9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said manually operated means includes a turnable shaft, and a manually operated member secured to said shaft for turning the same; wherein said first and second operating means include first and second mechanical linkages, respectively, connecting said shaft with said card knife and said adjustable margin guide, respectively, said first and second linkages including first and second levers secured to said shaft; wherein said card knife and said adjustable margin guide include first and second pins, respectively; wherein said first lever slidingly engages said first pin; and wherein said second linkage includes another lever slidingly engaging said second pin.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 and including first spring-biassed arresting means for arresting said shaft in said setting positions and thereby said card knife and said adjustable margin guide in said separating and guiding positions, respectively; and second arresting means for arresting said margin guide in said guiding positions.
 11. Apparatus for separating and guiding sheet means of different thickness and width, comprising magazine means for holding a stack of sheet means; a printing station; transporting means for successively transporting said sheet means of said stack from said magazine means to said printing station; a card knife forming a gap for the passage of transported sheet means; first operating means for moving said card knife between a plurality of separating positions for varying the width of said gap in accordance with the thickness of said sheet means so that only single sheet means are separated from said stack and transported; a movable margin guide and a fixed but adjustable margin guide located on opposite sides of said printing station for guiding the lateral edges of said sheet means; second operation means for moving said adjustable margin guide between a plurality of guiding positions in which the distance between said margin guiDes is equal to the width of the respective transported sheet means; and means for simultaneously actuating said first and second operating means. 